STUDY GUIDE
SS Benchmark 2: SW Asia Middle East Governments, Economics & History
1. Ottoman Empire
A. Power & Expansion—how far reaching at its height?
Much of Southwest Asia, parts of Europe & northern Africa
B. Decline & End—when? Began to decline in 1700s, and was dismantled by European victors after WWI (1920)
leaving only Turkey under Ottoman control
C. Name of agreement that defined new boundaries for Middle Eastern countries, identifying the groups
responsible for the agreement, and explanation of the reason for the problems that resulted from these
boundaries. San Remo Agreement ignores religious & ethnic groups which later leads to conflict in the new
countries of Middle East created from Ottoman Empire; Britain & France take control of ME
D. Name the countries took control of the Middle East with the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire:
Britain & France
2. Describe the main reason that the Middle East been an area of economic concern for many of the countries of
the world, including the US? Oil
3. Define the following, and describe their significance to the creation of the nation-state of Israel:
A. Zionism: the belief that the Jews deserved to return to a homeland in Zion where they had lived in Biblical
times is based on the promise from God that the biblical land of Palestine belongs to the Jewish people
B. Anti-Semitism: hatred and persecution of Jewish people
C. Balfour Declaration: 1917 British Agreement supporting claims of the Jewish people to a homeland in
Palestine, and also support for Palestinian Arab claims to other portions of the land of Palestine
D. Holocaust: German state sponsored genocide of 2/3 of European Jewish population during Nazi control of
Germany, confirmed and eliminated at end of WWII
E. United Nations & 1947 Partition Plan of Palestine: No longer able to negotiate the conflict concerning rights to
the land of Palestine, Britain gave control to the newly created United Nations after WWII. After the Jewish
genocide of the Holocaust, support for the division of the land of Palestine among the world community led to
the 1947 UN Partition Plan supporting division of the land between Jews and Palestinian Arabs—Arab nations
did not agree with the decision to give land to the Jews).
F. Jewish & Islamic ties to the land of Palestine: both religious groups believe they were given the land by God; in
Jerusalem, historical religious sites, such as the Foundation Stone, the Temple Mount, the Wailing (Western)
Wall,& the Dome of the Rock are there.
4. Describe the participants and reasons for these conflicts, and the results and outcomes:
A. 1948 War of Independence: Jews declared the independent nation of Israel May 14, 1948, and the
following day, neighboring Arab nations declared war against the Jewish nation of Israel, stating that the
Jews had no right to the land. Countries of the world supported the Jewish claims (UN support), and when
the conflict ended, the Jews held more land than had been agreed upon by the UN Partition.
B. Six-Day War 1967: Israel fought the Arab nations alone, doubling Israel’s land (did not receive UN support
for the claims); gained Sinai Peninsula (Egypt), control of Gaza Strip, West Bank & Golan Heights
C. Persian Gulf War 1990-1991: United States joined with other countries of a UN coalition in fighting to
prevent Iraq from taking control of the oil-rich country of Kuwait; a UN embargo was also placed to
restrict trade with Iraq until they met UN requirements; WMD’s were found in Iraq between 1991-1998,
and destroyed. Phases involved in removing Saddam Hussein and Iraqi forces from Kuwait were Operation
Desert Shield (moving weapons to protect Kuwait) & Operation Desert Storm (troops mobilized in defense,
eliminating threat of Saddam Hussein and Iraqi forces from Kuwait)
D. Afghanistan 2001-Present: Following the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center & Pentagon in 2001 by the
al-Qaeda terrorist organization , the US invaded Afghanistan believing its government (Taliban) was
offering safety (and training grounds) for al-Qaeda and its leader Osama bin-Laden
E. Operation Iraqi Freedom 2003: Saddam Hussein refused to allow UN weapons inspectors to return
(WMD’s had been found & destroyed between 1991 & 1998. US and other nations saw Saddam Hussein as
a threat to peace and interests in the region, and declared war against Hussein’s regime.
5. Describe the following:
A. Traditional Economy-customs & habits of the past determines economic roles; exchange of goods instead
of currency
B. Command Economy-a single or centralized government authority, such as central planning agency decides
what, how & for whom to produce; more government control/regulation/ownership of property/business
than people
C. Market Economy-Entrepreneurs take the economic risk; consumers and the market make the economic
decisions with little government regulation
D. Mixed Economy-both free market (individuals) and government control; most countries are mixed (to be
successful & protect consumers)
E. Specialization-producing goods at lower opportunity costs and importing goods less productive
F. Entrepreneurs-people who take the risk, bringing together the idea and the resources for creating new
business
G. Tariff-tax on imports
H. Quota-set amount or limit on imports
I. Embargo-stop on trade, usually for political reasons (such as nuclear aggression or human rights
violations)
J. Human Capital Investment-investment in workers, such as improved education, skills & training (higher
literacy rates and increases in skills & education lead to improved quality & productivity, and increases in
standards of living & GDPs
K. Physical Capital Investment-investment in improved tools, equipment, factories etc. leads to increase GDP
L. Literacy Rate-measures of the ability of citizens to read & write
M. OPEC: Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (a confederation of oil producing nations that
control the world market oil prices & distribution)
N. Autocracy-rule by one leader; absolute monarch (such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) or dictator
O.
P.
Q.
R.
S.
Oligarchy-rule by small group (such as theocracy of Islamic Republic of Iran)
Democracy-all citizens participate equally by voting
Unitary-central government has authority over all government
Federal-power is divided between central and regional authorities
Confederation-a voluntary association of independent states that agree to certain limitations in order to
receive benefits of cooperation
T. Parliamentary Democracy-the head of the government is a legislative member is chosen by the legislature
to be prime minister; the prime minster is a member of both executive & legislative branches; head of
state is usually a ceremonial role with little power (usually held by a president)
U. Presidential Democracy-President is constitutionally independent of the legislature; president is both head
of state & head of government; president is chosen in a separate election from legislative members
executive, legislative & judicial branches are separate
V. Currency exchange rates-values for monetary units providing a procedure for determining the value of
one’s currency in terms of another country’s currency (makes trade easier)
6. Government Power Distribution & Citizen Participation (include description of executive & legislative branches
of government for each):
A. Israel-president holds a ceremonial role as head of state; the prime minister is the head of government &
a member of both the executive & legislative branches; the government’s true power lies with the Prime
Minister & the cabinet
B. Saudi Arabia- autocracy; hereditary monarch with unlimited power is both king and Islamic religious
leader; Shariah law
C. Iran-theocracy (government that sees God as the supreme leader); Islamic republic with laws based on
religious laws of the Quran;
7. Describe the economic systems of each of the following, including who answers what, how & for whom to
produce, and what the main economic activities and levels of investment by government and individuals:
A. Israel-market economy (mixed with more freedom than government control/regulation); investments in
highly skilled workers, technology, military defense, tourism, agriculture
B. Saudi Arabia-command economy; oil production; government recognizes need to diversify with oil
reserves non-renewable and is now investing in human capital
C. Iran-command economy; oil production; entrepreneurs are creating business even though the
government doesn’t support entrepreneurship